JP2003170793A - Externally deploying airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an externally deploying airbag device capable of inflating the whole airbag quickly and smoothly. <P>SOLUTION: After both sides in the longitudinal direction of the airbag 1 protruding from a case 2 are folded toward the center side along a short side 2b of the case 2, a section protruding from a long side 2a of the case 2 is folded in a bellows shape or rolled shape to be stored in the case 2. The gas from a gas generator 4 inflates the center and both sides in the longitudinal direction almost simultaneously. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is for protecting pedestrians and occupants such as bicycles and motorcycles (hereinafter referred to as pedestrians) when an automobile collides with pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles or the like during traveling. The present invention relates to an outer surface deployment type airbag device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 14 (a) is a perspective view of a front portion of a vehicle body of an automobile equipped with a conventional air bag system for deploying an outer surface.
14B and 14C are sectional views taken along the line BB of FIG. Note that FIG. 14 (b) shows a mode of the outer surface deployment type airbag device in a normal state (when the automobile is not in a collision situation with a pedestrian or the like), and FIG. 14 (c).
Shows an aspect of the outer surface deployment type airbag device when the airbag is deployed.

The outer surface deployment type airbag device 100 is
An airbag 102 and a gas generator (inflator) 104 for inflating the airbag 102 are provided. The gas generator 104 is installed in a case (cowl top) 108 provided under a windshield (front window glass) 106 of an automobile, and the airbag 102 is normally installed in the cowl top 108 during normal operation. It is stored in a folded state.

The cowl top 108 is a cowl top outer panel 112 exposed on the front upper surface of the vehicle body of the automobile.
And a cowl top inner panel 114 that constitutes the bottom of the cowl top 108. The cowl top outer panel 112 is provided with an opening for inflating the airbag 102 to the upper surface of the front part of the vehicle body. This opening is for the airbag 1 housed in the cowl top 108.
It is located above 02. In normal times, the lid 116 is attached so as to close this opening.

At the front end portion of the vehicle body such as the front bumper 118 of this automobile, there are pedestrians, bicycles,
A contact detection sensor 120 for detecting a collision with a motorcycle or the like is provided. When the contact sensor 120 senses a collision, the outer surface deployable airbag apparatus 100 operates the gas generator 104, and the gas generator 1 operates.
Gas is introduced into the airbag 102 from 04, and the airbag 102 is inflated.

When an automobile equipped with the outer surface deployment type airbag device 100 collides with a pedestrian, a bicycle, a motorcycle, etc. while the vehicle is running, the contact sensor 120 senses this collision and the gas generator 104 inside the airbag 102. The gas is introduced into the air bag 102 to inflate the air bag 102. Then, the airbag 102 pushes open the lid 116 attached to the upper surface opening of the cowl top 108, and bulges to the upper surface of the front part of the vehicle body.
As shown in FIG. 4C, the hood 110 is unfolded along the outer surface of the windshield 106 from the rear portion.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an outer surface deployment type air bag device in which an air bag is quickly inflated to a deployment completed shape.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An outer surface deployable airbag device of the present invention is an airbag which can be deployed along the outer surface of an automobile, a case accommodating the airbag, a lid for covering the case, A gas generator for inflating an airbag, wherein the airbag has a long side direction and a short side direction intersecting with the flat side in a flattened state, wherein the airbag is It is characterized in that both ends in the long side direction protruding from the case are formed into an intermediate folded body that is folded back toward the center side and then folded in the short side direction and housed in the case.

In such an outer surface deployment type airbag device, when the gas generator is activated, the gas from the gas generator is directly introduced to both longitudinal ends of the airbag (portions protruding from the case). , Not only the central part of the airbag but also both longitudinal ends inflate quickly.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the intermediate folded body of the airbag is folded in a short side direction into a bellows shape or a roll shape. The airbag folded in a bellows shape or a roll shape smoothly inflates when gas is introduced from the gas generator.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 show the first embodiment.

The outer surface deployable airbag device comprises an airbag 1 and a case 2 for containing the airbag 1.
And a fastening member 3 that fastens the edge of the gas inlet 1a of the airbag 1 to the case 2, and a gas generator 4 for inflating the airbag 1.

In this embodiment, the airbag 1 has a substantially rectangular shape having a longitudinal direction and a short side direction in a flattened state, and the gas receiving port is provided at the center of the lower side surface. The airbag 1 is larger than the case 2,
It protrudes from Case 2 over the entire circumference. The case 2 also has a substantially rectangular shape, and the longitudinal direction of the case 2 is the airbag 1.
Is oriented in the longitudinal direction. The upper surface of the case 2 is open, and the open opening is rectangular. 2a indicates the long side of this rectangle, and 2b indicates the short side.

In order to fold the airbag 1, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 1 is laid out flat and then the third.
As shown in the figure, attach both ends of the airbag 1 in the longitudinal direction to the case 2
It is folded back toward the center side along the short sides 2b, 2b to form the intermediate folded body 1A.

Next, the portion of the intermediate folding body 1A protruding from the long sides 2a, 2a of the case 2 is folded in a bellows shape as shown in FIG. The parts protruding from both long sides 2a, 2a are folded into a bellows shape and faced at the center of the case 2,
It is put in the case 2 as shown by the arrow in FIG. This completes the folding of the airbag 1 as shown in FIG.

In FIGS. 2 to 6, the portion of the intermediate folding body 1A protruding from the long side 2a of the case is folded in a bellows shape, but it can be folded in a roll shape as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. Good.

That is, the portions protruding from the long side 2a of the case as shown in FIG. 7 are wound in a roll so that the roll axis is parallel to the long side 2a of the case. Next, the two roll-shaped portions formed as shown in FIG. 8 are placed on the case 2 and housed in the case 2 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8 (b). As a result, the airbag 1 becomes the folded body shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the roll-shaped portions are shown with a gap between them, or the roll-shaped portions themselves have a gap. It is clear that the two are folded into contact with each other.

In the present invention, the bellows-like fold and the roll-like fold may be combined as shown in FIGS.

That is, first, as shown in FIG. 10, the portion of the airbag intermediate folded body 1A protruding from the case 2 is folded into a bellows shape up to the vicinity of the opening of the case 2, and then as shown by the arc-shaped arrow in FIG. 10 (b). This bellows-shaped folded body is wound in a roll shape, and two roll-shaped portions are positioned on the upper surface of the case 2 as shown in FIG. Next, as shown by the linear arrows in FIG. 11, the roll-shaped portions are housed in the case 2.
As a result, the folded airbag is shown in FIG.

In any of the folded bodies shown in FIGS. 6, 9 and 12, when the gas generator 4 is actuated, the gas from the gas generator is centered not only on the central portion of the airbag 1 but also on both longitudinal ends. Is introduced almost at the same time, and the center side of the airbag and the both ends in the longitudinal direction start inflating at substantially the same time.

FIGS. 13 (b) to 13 (d) are perspective views showing the process of inflation of the folded airbag of FIG. 6, and FIG. 13 (a) shows the state before inflation. When the gas generator 4 operates, both longitudinal ends of the airbag 1 inflate at substantially the same time as the central side between them, as shown in FIGS. 13 (b) and 13 (c). Although not shown, the folded airbag body shown in FIGS. 9 and 12 is also inflated. An airbag that inflates after such an inflating process is inflated not only on the center side of the airbag but also on both longitudinal ends in the state immediately before the completion of inflation (FIG. 13 (c)). Both the center side and both end sides in the longitudinal direction are in the expansion completion state of FIG. 13 (d) almost at the same time. Therefore, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the airbag do not sway suddenly when they are almost inflated. When the longitudinal ends of the airbag 1 are inflated later than the central side, the gas flows from the inflated center side of the airbag to the incompletely inflated longitudinal ends of the airbag, and the airbag longitudinal ends In the state of FIGS. 13 (c) to 13 (d), there is a risk of fluttering vertically. According to the present invention, such fluttering does not occur on both ends of the airbag in the longitudinal direction, and the airbag as a whole is smoothly inflated.

The external deployment type airbag device of the present invention can be installed in various places such as a hood of an automobile, and its installation position is not limited. In the present invention, a tether belt or the like may be provided inside the airbag in order to flatly inflate the airbag along the outer surface of the vehicle.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are all examples of the present invention, and it is obvious that the present invention can take forms other than those shown in the drawings.

For example, although the airbag has a rectangular shape in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and may have various other shapes. Fig. 15 ~
FIG. 19 is a plan view showing an example thereof. The airbag 15 of FIG. 15 has a substantially fan shape, the airbag 16 of FIG. 16 has a substantially elliptical shape, the airbag 17 of FIG. 17 has a substantially drum shape, and the airbag 18 of FIG. The airbag 19 of FIG. 19 has a substantially H shape, and has a substantially U shape. Of course, the present invention may have various other shapes.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an outer surface deployment type airbag device in which the airbag as a whole is inflated quickly and smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of an outer surface deployment type airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which an airbag is spread flat, and FIG. 1 (b) is a plan view in this state. (C) figure is CC sectional view taken on the line of (a), (b) figure.

2A and 2B show an airbag and a case before folding is started, where FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a right side view.
The figure (c) is a front view.

3A and 3B show an airbag and a case during folding of the airbag, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a right side view, and FIG. 3C is a front view.

4A and 4B show an airbag and a case during folding of the airbag, wherein FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a right side view, and FIG. 4C is a front view.

5A and 5B show an airbag and a case during folding of the airbag, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view and FIG. 5B is a right side view.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag when the folding is completed.

7A and 7B show another airbag folding procedure, wherein FIG. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a right side view, and FIG. 7C is a front view.

8A and 8B show a procedure for folding the airbag shown in FIG. 7, in which FIG. 8A is a plan view and FIG. 8B is a right side view.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view after completion of folding of FIGS.

10A and 10B show still another airbag folding procedure, wherein FIG. 10A is a plan view and FIG. 10B is a right side view.

11 is a cross-sectional view showing a procedure for folding the airbag shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view when the folding of FIGS. 10 and 11 is completed.

13 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are the same as FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the progress of the inflation of the airbag.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional outer surface deployment type airbag device.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing another example of the shape of the airbag.

FIG. 16 is a plan view showing another example of the shape of the airbag.

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing another example of the shape of the airbag.

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing another example of the shape of the airbag.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing another example of the shape of the airbag.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,15,16,17,18,19 Airbag 1A Airbag intermediate folding body 2 cases 2a Long side of case 2b Short side of case 3 fastening members 4 gas generator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An airbag including an airbag that can be deployed along an outer surface of an automobile, a case that accommodates the airbag, a lid that covers the case, and a gas generator that inflates the airbag. In an outer surface deployment type airbag device having a long side direction and a short side direction intersecting with the flat side in a flattened state, both ends of the airbag protruding in the long side direction are folded back toward the center side. An outer surface deployment type airbag device, characterized in that it is formed into an intermediate folded body and then folded in the short side direction and housed in a case. 2. The outer surface deployable airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate folding body is folded in a bellows shape or a roll shape in the short side direction.